Cord lock

ABSTRACT

A cord lock includes various components used to slidably adjust a cord length, such as one or more housing components that releasably clamp around the cord. In one aspect, the cord lock includes an arrangement of magnets that bias the cord-lock housing components away from one another, in order to secure the cord between the housing components. The housing components can be pressed towards one another to slidably adjust the cord. In a further aspect, the cord lock may also include a magnetized excess-cord retainer that attaches to a portion of the cord and that releasably attaches to the cord lock in order to help gather excess cord pulled through the cord lock.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PRIORITY CLAIM

This Non-Provisional Patent Application is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/263,718, filed Jan. 31, 2019, and titled “CordLock,” now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,758,008, which is a continuationof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/239,284, filed Aug. 17, 2016, andtitled “Cord Lock,” now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,226,104, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent App. No. 62/207,153, filed Aug. 19,2015, and titled “Cord Lock.” Each of these listed applications isincorporated herein by reference in the entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to cord locks.

BACKGROUND

Drawcords or just “cords” (also sometimes referred to as laces, cables,drawstrings, and the like) are commonly integrated into various types ofarticles (e.g., bags, garments, etc.) to allow modification of a featureof the article, such as a size, dimension, or shape. Cord locks providea mechanism to adjust, and set, a length of cord, and may utilize abiasing element to provide a force on the cord.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are described in detail herein withreference to the figures, which are exemplary and non-limiting in natureand which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a cord lock, in accordance with anaspect hereof;

FIG. 2 depicts a first exploded view of the cord lock of FIG. 1, inaccordance with an aspect hereof;

FIG. 3 depicts a second exploded view of the cord lock of FIG. 1, inaccordance with an aspect hereof;

FIG. 4 depicts a side elevation view of the cord lock of FIG. 1, inaccordance with an aspect hereof;

FIG. 5 depicts a cross-section view of the cord lock of FIG. 4 with thecord lock in a resting state, in accordance with an aspect hereof;

FIG. 6 depicts a cross-section view of the cord lock of FIG. 4 with thecord lock in a depressed state, in accordance with an aspect hereof;

FIG. 7 depicts a top perspective view of a cord lock having acord-retention cap, in accordance with an aspect hereof;

FIG. 8 depicts a first exploded view of the cord lock of FIG. 7, inaccordance with an aspect hereof;

FIG. 9 depicts a second exploded view of the cord lock of FIG. 7, inaccordance with an aspect hereof;

FIG. 10 depicts a side elevation view of the cord lock of FIG. 7 withthe cord-retention cap seated on the plunger, in accordance with anaspect hereof;

FIG. 11 depicts a side elevation view of the cord lock of FIG. 7 withthe cord-retention cap unseated from the plunger, in accordance with anaspect hereof;

FIG. 12 depicts a cross-section view of the cord lock of FIG. 7 with thecord lock in a resting state, in accordance with an aspect hereof;

FIG. 13 depicts a side cross-section view of the cord lock of FIG. 7with the plunger depressed, in accordance with an aspect hereof;

FIG. 14 depicts a cord lock coupled to an article layer, in accordancewith an aspect hereof;

FIGS. 15A-15B depict an example article of apparel having a pair of cordlocks incorporated thereon, in accordance with an aspect hereof;

FIGS. 16A-16B depict another example article of apparel having a pair ofcord locks incorporated thereon, in accordance with an aspect hereof;

FIGS. 17A-17B depict another example article in the form of a bag havinga cord lock incorporated thereon, in accordance with an aspect hereof;and

FIGS. 18A-18B depict an example item of footwear having a cord lockincorporated thereon, in accordance with an aspect hereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter of various aspects of the present disclosure isdescribed with specificity herein to meet statutory requirements.However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention. Rather, the claimed subject matter may be embodied orcarried out in other ways, to include different elements,configurations, and/or steps, including those similar to the onesdescribed in this document, and in conjunction with other present orfuture technologies.

In brief, and at a high level, this disclosure describes, among otherthings, a cord lock having one or more components that releasably clamponto a cord for slidably adjusting a length of the cord extendingthrough the cord lock. Additionally, a magnetic force (e.g., a repellingforce) may be generated from two magnetic elements incorporated into thecord lock to restrict movement of the cord through the cord lock. Anexemplary cord lock may include a housing and a plunger havingrespective first and second through-channels that are alignable when thehousing and the plunger are coupled together in a movable fashion. Thethrough-channels may serve as a passage through which a cord can extendand be engaged by the cord lock. The cord lock may further include afirst magnet that has a first pole with a first polarity (e.g., Northpole) and a second pole with a second polarity (e.g., South pole), and asecond magnet that has a third pole with the first polarity and a fourthpole with the second polarity. In this respect, the magnets may beoriented such that two poles having the same polarity are orientedtowards each other to produce a repelling force that biases the firstand second magnets apart, thereby also biasing the housing and theplunger apart to actively dealign the through-channels and increaseresistance on a cord positioned in the cord lock. In this sense, themagnets may react in a manner consistent with traditional magnets, whichallow for an attracting force between a first magnet and a second magnetwhen opposite poles are aligned and a repelling force between the firstmagnet and the second magnet when common poles are aligned.

In exemplary aspects, the housing and the plunger may be movably (e.g.,slidably) coupled to each other such that the plunger may be depressedby an external force (e.g., a user-applied pressing force) to move thefirst and second magnets together against the repelling force, movingthe first and second through-channels towards alignment. As the firstand second through-channels converge towards alignment, a cord passingthrough the channels may be more easily moveable than when the first andsecond through-channels are further from alignment. This may alloweasier adjustment of a length of cord extending through the cord lock.In aspects, the cord lock may be combined with an article. The cord lockmay also be springless, or alternatively, may include one or moresprings.

In a first aspect, a cord lock is provided. The cord lock comprises ahousing having a base and one or more sidewalls extending from the baseto at least partially define a plunger-receiving space. The one or moresidewalls include a first through-channel, and the housing includes afirst magnet that has a first pole with a first polarity and a secondpole with a second polarity. The magnet is positioned in theplunger-receiving space. The cord lock further comprises a plungerincluding a second through-channel that is alignable with the firstthrough-channel when the plunger is positioned in the plunger-receivingspace. The plunger has a second magnet that has a third pole with thefirst polarity and a fourth pole with the second polarity. The firstpolarity of the first pole and the first polarity of the third pole area same polarity, and the first pole and the third pole are orientedtowards each other, such that the first polarity of the first pole andthe first polarity of the third pole bias the second magnet away fromthe first magnet to dealign the first through-channel and the secondthrough-channel.

In a second aspect, an article is provided. The article comprises anarticle layer having a first surface and a second surface, with a firstconnection component affixed to the first surface of the article layer.The article further comprises a cord lock comprising a housing having abase and one or more sidewalls extending from the base to at leastpartially define a plunger-receiving space, the one or more sidewallshaving a first through-channel. The housing includes a first magnet thathas a first pole with a first polarity and a second pole with a secondpolarity. The first magnet is positioned in the plunger-receiving space.The cord lock further comprises a second connection component affixed tothe base of the housing, and a plunger having a second through-channelthat is alignable with the first through-channel when the plunger ispositioned in the plunger-receiving space. The plunger has a secondmagnet that has a third pole with the first polarity and a fourth polewith the second polarity. The first polarity of the first pole and thefirst polarity of the third pole are a same polarity, and the first poleand the third pole are oriented towards each other, such that the firstpolarity of the first pole and the first polarity of the third pole biasthe second magnet away from the first magnet to dealign the firstthrough-channel and the second through-channel. The first and secondconnection components are coupled to secure the cord lock to the articlelayer, and a cord is positioned in the first and secondthrough-channels.

In a third aspect, a cord lock is provided. The cord lock comprises ahousing having a base and one or more sidewalls extending from the baseto at least partially define a plunger-receiving space, the one or moresidewalls including a first through-channel. The housing includes afirst magnet that has a first pole with a first polarity and a secondpole with a second polarity and that is positioned in theplunger-receiving space. An article mounting mechanism is secured to thebase. The cord lock further comprises a plunger including a secondthrough-channel that is alignable with the first through-channel whenthe plunger is positioned in the plunger-receiving space. The plungerhas a second magnet that has a third pole with the first polarity and afourth pole with the second polarity. The first polarity of the firstpole and the first polarity of the third pole are a same polarity. Thefirst pole and the third pole are oriented towards each other, such thatthe first polarity of the first pole and the first polarity of the thirdpole bias the second magnet away from the first magnet to dealign thefirst through-channel and the second through-channel. The cord lockfurther comprises a cord-retention cap.

As discussed in various aspects, a cord lock may be incorporated into anarticle (e.g., apparel, footwear, bag, equipment, and the like) havingan article layer with first and second surfaces. The cord lock mayattach to the article and/or the first and second surfaces using variousmechanisms. For example, the cord lock may include integrated structures(e.g., flanges, tabs, etc.) that attach to and/or through an articlelayer. Additionally, or alternatively, a first connection component maybe affixed to the first surface of the article layer, in which case acord lock may be positioned on the second surface and attach to thefirst connection component (e.g., such as through an aperture or slit inthe article layer). Adhesive, male-female couplings, welding, and otherfasteners may be used as well.

In additional aspects, the cord lock may include a cord-retention devicepositioned on or coupled to a cord threaded through the cord lock. Forexample, the cord-retention device may be constructed into, or attachedto, the cord to impede the cord from being inadvertently unthreaded fromthe cord lock. In addition, the cord-retention device may removeably orfixedly attach onto an article or to the cord lock itself to help gatherand/or organize cord that extends through and beyond the cord lock. Inone aspect, the cord-retention device includes a magnet having a polewith a polarity that can be oriented towards a pole of another magnet inthe cord lock with a different polarity, so that the cord-retentiondevice can be magnetically affixed to the cord lock.

A “cord” as used herein includes, but is not limited to, a string,strand, fiber, cord, rope, yarn, thread, strap, ribbon, lace, band, andthe like. A cord may be comprised of multiple filaments or amonofilament. A cord may be wound, braided, knit, woven, spun, cut, andthe like. In an exemplary aspect, a cord is an element used inconnection with apparel, footwear, equipment, and the like to secure,tighten, constrict, wrap, or otherwise exert a tensioning force about anelement (e.g., a wearer or an article). Specifically, it is contemplatedherein that a cord, cord lock, and/or article or article layerincorporating a cord lock may be used in connection with a shirt,jacket, pant, pair of shorts, ¾ or capris, an article of footwear orouterwear (e.g., gloves, mittens, hat, rain gear, winter gear, etc.),swim wear, bags, outdoor gear (e.g., a tent, a sleeping bag, etc.), andthe like. The above-listed use considerations are intended to beexemplary and non-limiting in nature, and other uses are contemplated.

A magnetic element (e.g., a magnet) is an object having a magnetic fieldthat may be described in terms of magnetic lines of force that originatefrom the North pole and end at the South pole of the magnetic element.When two magnets having like-type poles are presented to each other(e.g., North-to-North or South-to-South) and placed in relativeproximity to one another, an interaction of each of the magnetic fieldscan repulse the two magnets from one another. As a distance decreasesbetween the similar poles of the axially aligned magnets, the repellingforce increases. The repulsive force generated by two like-type poles ofaxially aligned magnets may serve as a force-generating substitute for aspring-like mechanism, in exemplary aspects. The use of magnets insteadof traditional springs, or in addition to traditional springs, mayprovide an ability to adjust resistive force, provide a different changein force over a distance, provide different form factors, and otherpotential structural configuration differences, based on the magneticrepulsion from the magnets as opposed to a mechanical-element-generatedrepulsion. In addition, the use of magnets in combination with, or inplace of, springs may address possible issues associated with areduction in spring elasticity, which may occur over time and/or withrepeated use of the springs.

Having described some aspects, reference is now made to FIG. 1, whichdepicts a top perspective view of a cord lock 100 including a housing102 and a plunger 104, in accordance with an aspect hereof. In FIG. 1,the housing 102 includes a base 106 and one or more sidewalls 108extending from the base 106 that at least partially enclose aplunger-receiving space 110. The plunger 104 is positioned in theplunger-receiving space 110, and may be movable (e.g., slidable)relative to the housing 102. In aspects, the base 106 may be wider(e.g., have a greater surface area in a plane of a major surface (e.g.,a bottom surface) of the base 106) than the one or more sidewalls 108(e.g., an area of the one or more sidewalls 108 in a parallel plane tothe major surface of the base 106) or may be the same size.

Although depicted as cylindrical, the housing 102 and/or the sidewalls108 of the cord lock 100 may take any shape or configuration (e.g.,circular, square, triangular, rectangular, hexagonal, trapezoidal,various prisms, etc.), and the sidewall(s) 108 may be one continuouswall or multiple independently defined walls (e.g., defined by edges orangular changes). In exemplary aspects, the housing 102 and thesidewalls 108 may be configured to allow for moveable engagement withthe plunger 104, such as a slideable engagement. As such, it iscontemplated that the components of the cord lock 100 may have a numberof configurations, shapes, and sizes while achieving the aspectsprovided herein.

As shown in FIG. 1, a cord 112 is positioned in a first through-channel114 of the housing 102 and in a second through-channel 116 of theplunger 104 (the second-through channel 116 is obscured in FIG. 1; seeFIGS. 2-3 and 5 for greater detail). While a multi-portion cord 112 isdepicted in FIG. 1, in exemplary aspects, it is contemplated that asingle cord or a different number of cord portions may extend throughone or more portions of the cord lock 100. The cord 112 passes throughthe housing 102 and the plunger 104, respectively, entirely through fromone side to the other via the first and second through-channels 114,116. The plunger 104 further includes a cap 118 that is integrated withthe plunger 104, in the exemplary configuration of the cord lock 100shown in FIG. 1. As will be described in other portions of thisdisclosure, the housing 102 and the plunger 104 include components thatreleasably clamp onto the cord 112 to allow a length of the cord 112pulled through the cord lock 100 to be adjusted and maintained.

Referring to FIGS. 2-3, first and second exploded views of the cord lock100 of FIG. 1 are shown, in accordance with an aspect hereof. In FIG. 2,the housing 102 is shown with the first through-channel 114 formed atleast from a first through-hole 120 and a second though-hole 122extending through the one or more sidewalls 108 of the housing 102. Aninterior surface of the one or more sidewalls 108 of the housing 102forms the plunger-receiving space 110 that is configured to receive atleast a portion of the plunger 104. The plunger 104 includes the cap 118and one or more plunger sidewalls 124 extending from the cap 118 thatform a magnet-receiving space 126, in the illustrated exemplaryconfiguration. The second through-channel 116 is partially formed from athird through-hole 128 (obscured in FIGS. 2-3; see FIG. 5) and a fourththrough-hole 130 extending though the one or more plunger sidewalls 124.In aspects, the first and second through-channels 114, 116 may havetheir respective holes 120, 122 and 128, 130 offset.

When the cord lock 100 is assembled, a first magnet 132 is secured inthe plunger-receiving space 110 such that it does not block or prevent acord from extending through the first through-channel 114. A secondmagnet 134 can be received and/or positioned in the magnet-receivingspace 126 (or alternatively, in other aspects, in the plunger-receivingspace 110) such that it does not block or prevent a cord from extendingthrough the second through-channel 116. When the plunger 104 is insertedin the plunger-receiving space 110, the first and secondthrough-channels 114, 116 are alignable in a manner that allows for theselected cord (or cords) to slidably extend through the cord lock 100.

Regarding the first and second magnets 132, 134 and the biasing force(s)generated therefrom, the first magnet 132 has a first pole 133 with afirst polarity (e.g., North) and a second pole 135 with a secondpolarity (e.g., South), and the second magnet 134 has a third pole 137with the first polarity and a fourth pole 139 with the second polarity.The first polarity and the second polarity are opposite magneticpolarities (e.g., the first polarity is North and the second polarity isSouth or, in the alternative, the first polarity is South and the secondpolarity is North). In this respect, in the configuration shown in FIGS.2-3, when the cord lock 100 is assembled, the first magnet 132 and thesecond magnet 134 may be positioned such that the first and third poles133, 137 having the same polarity are oriented generally towards eachother, facing each other. As such, a magnetic repelling force betweenthe first and third poles 133, 137 having the same polarity pushes,moves, and/or biases the first and second magnets 132, 134 away fromeach other, thereby also actively dealigning the first and secondthrough-channels 114, 116 which may increase frictional resistance on acord positioned in the first and second through-channels 114, 116,restricting movement thereof.

Referring to FIG. 4, a side elevation view of the cord lock 100 of FIG.1 is shown, in accordance with an aspect hereof. In FIG. 4, the cord 112is shown positioned in the first and second through-channels 114, 116 ofthe cord lock 100, and the plunger 104 is inserted into theplunger-receiving space 110 such that it is slidably coupled to thehousing 102.

Referring to FIGS. 5-6, cross-section views of the cord lock 100 of FIG.4 are depicted, in accordance with an aspect hereof. In FIG. 5, the cordlock 100 is depicted in a resting state (e.g., a cord locking state—astate that restricts movement of the cord 112 through the cord lock100), and in FIG. 6, the cord lock 100 is shown in a depressed state(e.g., a cord adjusting state—a state that provides less restriction ofmovement of the cord 112 through the cord lock 100 relative to the cordlocking state) as a result of a force 150 (e.g., a force applied by auser/wearer) being applied to the plunger 104. In the exemplary aspectshown in FIG. 5, the first magnet 132 is positioned at the bottom of theplunger-receiving space 110. The first magnet 132 may be secured (e.g.,adhered and/or physically confined) relative to the base 106 and/or theone or more sidewalls 108.

As discussed, the one or more sidewalls 108 of the cord lock 100 providethe first through-channel 114, which is formed at least from the firstthrough-hole 120 and the second through-hole 122, which are on generallyopposite sides of the one or more sidewalls 108, and which extendthrough the one or more sidewalls 108. The second through-channel 116 isformed at least from the third through-hole 128 and the fourththrough-hole 130, which are on generally opposite sides of the one ormore plunger sidewalls 124, and which extend through the one or moreplunger sidewalls 124. An opening 136 at an opposite end of the housing102 as the base 106 provides access to the plunger-receiving space 110,which receives the plunger 104. The one or more plunger sidewalls 124form the magnet-receiving space 126 in which the second magnet 134 ispositioned. The second magnet 134 may be secured within themagnet-receiving space 126, such as by adhesive, physical coupling,and/or physical confinement. The second magnet 134 is also positionedsuch that it does not cover or block a cord from freely passing throughthe second through-channel 116.

As shown in FIGS. 5-6, a cord 112 extends through the first and secondthrough-channels 114, 116. In FIG. 5, the cord lock 100 is shown in aresting state, with the first and second magnets 132, 134 separated by agap 140 that is formed from the first and second magnets 132, 134 beingrepelled away from each other by the same polarities of the first andthird poles 133, 137. The biasing from the first and second magnets 132,134 actively dealigns the first and second through-channels 114, 116.

In FIG. 6, when the plunger 104 is depressed by the force 150 thatopposes the repelling force generated by the first and second magnets132, 134, the plunger 104 moves the first and second magnets 132, 134together, reducing the gap 140, and moving the first and secondthrough-channels 114, 116 towards alignment. In this regard, when a cord112 is positioned in the first and second through-channels 114, 116, andthe plunger 104 is depressed with the force 150, the progressivealignment of the first and second through-channels 114, 116 may reducerestriction on the movement of the cord 112 through the cord lock 100 atleast in part by reducing frictional resistance on the cord 112.Additionally, it should be noted that although the housing 102 and theplunger 104 are depicted as separately formed structures, in otheraspects, the housing 102 and the plunger 104 may be integrally formedand move relative to one another, such as by a living hinge or otherflexibly movable connection member. In other words, the housing 102 andplunger 104 may be integrally formed or physically distinct.

In further aspects, a cord-retention device may be used with the cordlock 100. The cord-retention device may be constructed into, and/orattached to, the cord 112 to impede the cord 112 from beinginadvertently unthreaded from the cord lock 100. For example, thecord-retention device may be a loop or knot formed in the cord 112, ormay be a bead or tab that is threaded onto and/or around the cord 112and that is sized and/or configured to impede passage through the firstand second through-channels 114, 116. In addition, the cord-retentiondevice may attach to an article onto which the cord lock 100 is affixed,or may attach to the cord lock 100 itself to help gather or organizeexcess cord that has been pulled through the cord lock 100.

Referring to FIG. 7, a top perspective view of a cord lock 200 havingthe housing 102, the plunger 104, and a cord-retention cap 142 is shown,in accordance with an aspect hereof. In FIG. 7, the cord-retention cap142 includes first and second cord-retention channels 144, 146 forreceiving looped portions of the cord 112. The cord-retention cap 142 isselectively positionable on the plunger 104, and in aspects, may beshaped to mate and/or secure to the plunger 104 and/or to the housing102. In one aspect, the cord 112 may be fed through the first and secondcord-retention channels 144, 146 of the cord-retention cap 142 so thatthe looped end of the cord 112 is secured to the cord lock 200.Alternative configurations are contemplated herein.

Referring to FIGS. 8-9, first and second exploded views of the cord lock200 of FIG. 7 are shown, in accordance with aspects hereof. In FIGS.8-9, the cord-retention cap 142 includes a third magnet 148 having afifth pole 149 having the first polarity and a sixth pole 153 having thesecond polarity. In this regard, the fourth pole 139 of the secondmagnet 134 and the fifth pole 149 of the third magnet 148 are oppositemagnetic polarities and oriented so that they are generally facingtowards each other, such that the opposite polarities of the respectivefourth and fifth poles 139, 149 bias (e.g., magnetically attract) thesecond and third magnets 134, 148 towards each other, allowing thecord-retention cap 142 to magnetically couple to the plunger 104. Thecord-retention cap 142 may be shaped or configured to seat (e.g.,physically engage to prevent movement, such as lateral movement based onthe physical interaction that is maintained by the magnetic attraction)on the plunger 104. Additionally, the cord lock 200 is shown withoptional covers 155, which can be positioned between various parts ofthe assembly, including between the first and second magnets 132, 134and between the third magnet 148 and the plunger 104, among otherlocations. In FIGS. 8-9, the first magnet 132 is configured to bepositioned in the bottom of the plunger-receiving space 110, the secondmagnet 134 is configured to be positioned in the magnet-receiving space126, and the third magnet 148 is configured to be affixed to the bottomof the cord-retention cap 142. Alternative configurations, attachments,and positions of the magnets 132, 134, 148 are possible andcontemplated.

Stated in different terms regarding the potential configuration of themagnets 132, 134, 148, the relationship may be expressed in relation tothe North-South polarity of each magnet and the linear ordering of thosepoles. For example, it is contemplated that the magnets 132, 134, 148have a relative orientation of North-South for the first magnet 132,South-North for the second magnet 134, and South-North for the thirdmagnet 148, to accomplish a repelling force between the first and secondmagnets 132, 134, while achieving an attraction between the second andthird magnets 134, 148. An alternative configuration contemplated forthe magnets 132, 134, 148 is a relative orientation of South-North forthe first magnet 132, North-South for the second magnet 134, andNorth-South for the third magnet 148, to achieve the same result. Twomagnets having a (North-South) (North-South) orientation attract eachother. Two magnets having a (North-South) (South-North) orientationrepel each other.

Referring to FIGS. 10-11, a side elevation view of the cord lock 200 ofFIG. 7 with the cord-retention cap 142 in-place and removed,respectively, is shown, in accordance with aspects hereof. In FIG. 10,the plunger 104 is received in the plunger-receiving space 110, and thedoubled over cord 112 is inserted through the first and secondthrough-channels 114, 116 of the cord lock 100, and the looped end ofthe cord 112 is coupled to the first and second cord-retention channels144, 146 of the cord-retention cap 142. The cord-retention cap 142 ismagnetically coupled to the top of the plunger 104, using the attractionof the second and the third magnets 134, 148, as discussed above. Asdescribed, the second magnet 134 includes a fourth pole 139 with thesecond polarity oriented towards the fifth pole 149 of the third magnet148 which has the first polarity. Because the first and secondpolarities are opposite magnetic polarities, the second and thirdmagnets 134, 148 are attracted to each other, helping to magneticallyseat the cord-retention cap 142 on the plunger 104. FIG. 11 shows thecord-retention cap 142 removed from the top of the plunger 104.

Referring to FIGS. 12-13, side cross-section views of the cord lock 200of FIG. 7, with the cord lock 200 in a resting state and a depressedstate, respectively, are shown, in accordance with aspects hereof. InFIGS. 12-13, the cord lock 200 is shown with the third magnet 148mounted in the cord-retention cap 142, which is positioned on top of theplunger 104, the third magnet 148 and the second magnet 134 being biasedtowards each other to magnetically couple the cord-retention cap 142 tothe plunger 104. In FIG. 12, there is a gap 140 formed between the firstand second magnets 132, 134 due to the biased first and second magnets132, 134. In FIG. 13, a force 150 is applied to the plunger 104 to movethe first and second through-channels 114, 116 towards alignment,reducing the gap 140, and allowing easier slidable adjustment of thecord 112 through the cord lock 200.

As previously indicated, a cord lock may be integrated with an article,such as a garment, bag, footwear, equipment, and the like. Referring toFIG. 14, a cord lock 151 is provided that is coupled to an article layer156, in accordance with an aspect hereof. The cord lock 151 may be oneof the exemplary cord locks 100, 200 described herein, or anothervariation. The article layer 156 includes a first surface 152 and asecond surface 154. A housing 102 of the cord lock 151 shown in FIG. 14includes a first connection component 158 coupled to the base 106 of thehousing 102. The first connection component 158 may be integrally formedwith the base 106 of the housing 102 or may be affixed by some othermeans (e.g., mechanically, adhesively, etc.). A second connectioncomponent 160 is coupled to the article layer 156 near an opening 162 inthe article layer 156. The second connection component 160 is configuredto attach or releasably attach to the first connection component 158 tosecure the cord lock 151 to the article layer 156.

Various mounting and connection components may be used to secure thecord lock 151 to the article layer 156, or integrate the cord lock 151through the article layer 156 for securement. For example, theconnection components may employ a quarter-turn fastener, adhesive,compression fittings, welding, stitching, and the like. In addition, thesecond connection component 160 may also include a magnet, which isattracted to the first magnet 132 in the base of the housing 102, toattach the second connection component 160 to the rest of the cord lock151, in an exemplary aspect. Any and all types of attachments arecontemplated.

Referring now to FIGS. 15A-15B, 16A-16B, 17A-17B, and 18A-18B, variousarticles, including articles of apparel, bags, and items of footwear,are shown, each of which includes one or more cord locks, which may be,for example, the illustrative cord locks 100, 200 shown and describedherein, in accordance with embodiments hereof. FIGS. 15A-15B show anexample article of apparel 300 having a pair of cord locks 302, 304coupled to one or more cords 305 extending from the article of apparel300, with FIG. 15A and FIG. 15B showing the cord locks 302, 304 indifferent slidably adjusted positions. FIGS. 16A-16B show anotherexample article of apparel 306 having a pair of cord locks 308, 310coupled to one or more cords 305 extending from the article of apparel306, with FIG. 16A and FIG. 16B showing the cord locks 308, 310 indifferent slidably adjusted positions. FIGS. 16A-16B further show a pairof cord locks 309, 311 each coupled respectively to one or more cords313 and 315 extending from the article of apparel 306 so as to provideslidable adjustment along the same. FIGS. 17A-17B show another examplearticle in the form of a bag 312 having a cord lock 314 coupled to oneor more cords 305 extending from the bag 312, with FIG. 17A and FIG. 17Bshowing the cord lock 314 in different slidably adjusted positions.FIGS. 18A-18B depict an example item of footwear 316 having a cord lock318 coupled to one or more cords 305 extending from the item of footwear316, with FIG. 18A and FIG. 18B showing the cord lock 318 in differentslidably adjusted positions. The article and cord lock configurationsshown in FIGS. 15A-15B, 16A-16B, 17A-17B, and 18A-18B are provided asillustrative examples.

The illustrative cord locks 100, 200, and any variations thereof, aredepicted as being generally cylindrical. However, as previouslyindicted, a cord lock, including the housing, plunger, and othercomponents forming the cord lock, may take any number of shapes,including square, triangular, circular, parabolic, trapezoidal, ovular,hexagonal, prismatic, or other symmetrical or asymmetrical shapes. Anythrough-channels formed through the cord lock, such as, for example,through the housing and/or the plunger which forms the body of the cordlock, may include any number and shape of openings, channels, and/orthrough-passageways. Additionally, each through-channel, or associatedopening on an outside of the cord lock, may be square, rectangular,circular, triangular, trapezoidal, hexagonal, or another symmetrical orasymmetrical shape. There may also be multiple through-channels that mayalign and dealign, and through which different or looped sections of acord may be inserted. The cord lock may include additional holes orapertures for looping cord or attaching clips or snaps.

In addition, in other aspects, the cord lock may include additionalstructures that are integrally formed with, or that are attached to, thecord lock. For instance, the cord lock may include flanges, rims,borders, and/or other features and projections that allow attachment ofthe cord lock to an article. In aspects, the magnets included in thecord lock may be covered or encased such that the magnets are notvisible when the cord lock is assembled, or even when the cord lock isdisassembled. For example, the magnets may be sealed within a chamberinitially having an open end, on one end or the other, into which one orboth magnets are inserted, and after insertion of the magnet(s), theopening may be sealed with a plastic cover, polymer, or resin, toprovide a sealed magnet chamber. The cord lock may also be formed atleast partially from a see-through or opaque material so that themagnets and/or other parts of the inner portion of the cord lock arevisible.

The strength of a magnet used in a cord lock, including as describedherein, may be selected from specific ranges to provide attractiveforces appropriate for an intended application. For example, when two(or more) magnetic elements are used in combination (e.g., an attractiveopposite-polarity orientation of the magnets or a repulsivecommon-polarity orientation of the magnets), the strength of any one ofthe individual magnetic elements may be less than if a single magneticelement is used. In some contemplated configurations, the strength of amagnet used in a cord lock to generate a repelling force is 10 Gauss orless. It is also contemplated that the strength of a magnet used in thecord lock to generate a repelling force is 5-10 Gauss. For example, itis contemplated that a repelling force between first and second magnets132, 134 in the cord lock 100 is 10 Gauss or less.

The strength of a magnet, in exemplary aspects, is maintained at orbelow 10 Gauss as a result of its potential use on or near a human body.Additionally, it is contemplated that a magnet strength at or below 10Gauss provides a repelling force effective for locking a cord whilestill allowing for user manipulation, in an exemplary aspect. A size,shape, and material of the magnets may be changed to achieve aparticular magnetic force for a particular application. For example, astrength of magnetic repulsion between the first and second magnets 132,134 may be greater than the strength of magnetic attraction between thesecond and third magnets 134, 148, in an exemplary aspect. Thisdifferential in strength may result from an amount of force used toprevent/limit cord movement through the cord lock relative to an amountof force used to maintain one component proximate to another component.Therefore, it is contemplated that magnet strength may be adjusted toachieve a functional result.

The use of magnets in articles that are worn on or maintained near ahuman may be restricted. For example, limitations on magnetic force,location, and size may be taken into consideration when selecting,configuring, implementing, securing, and using a magnet in an article.As such, the configurations, sizing, and shaping of various embodimentscontemplated herein are suitable for achieving a cord lock while alsoconsidering limitations that may be imposed because of the use ofmagnets on and/or near a human body.

In alternative aspects of the cord lock, the plunger may form ahousing-receiving space into which the housing is inserted and/orslidably coupled, such that one or more plunger sidewalls extending froma base of the plunger at least partially surround the one or moresidewalls of the housing. The magnets may be positioned such that theyare fully or partially enclosed within the sidewalls of the housing,such that when the plunger is in a depressed configuration, such as inFIG. 13, the magnets are on a same side of the first and secondthrough-channels. The magnets may also be positioned on opposite sidesof the through-channels (e.g., a first magnet more proximate the base106 and a second magnet more proximate the cord-retention cap 142).

An article may be an item of apparel, a bag, equipment, footwear, or thelike. In this respect, an article may be a wearable article, such as ajacket, vest, pullover, pant, short, footwear (e.g., shoe or boot), orother article of apparel. Additionally, the article may be anequipment-based article, such as a track bag, backpack, duffel,side-bag, or waist-bag, for example. The first and second connectioncomponents may be buttons, male-female connectors, hook-and-loopconnectors, adhesive, stitching, and the like. The through-channels ofthe cord lock may be sized to receive a single portion (e.g., course) ofcord or multiple portions (e.g., multiple discrete courses) of cord.

While specific discussion has been focused on leveraging a repulsiveforce of magnets to achieve a locking mechanism on a cord, it iscontemplated that an attractive force between a magnet and a magneticelement (e.g., ferrous material, another magnet) may additionally oralternatively be used. For example, it is contemplated that a firstmagnet may be positioned relative to a second magnet such that theattractive force causes a dealignment of through-holes and that anexternal force (e.g., user push or pull) overcomes the attractive forceto move the through-holes towards alignment to allow a cord to slidablymove through the cord lock with less restriction. As such, it iscontemplated that both a repelling magnetic force and/or an attractivemagnetic force may be implemented within a cord lock to achieve anadjustable cord locking mechanism.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forthtogether with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the structure. It will be understood that certain features andsub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference toother features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and iswithin the scope of the claims. Since many possible aspects may be madewithout departing from the scope hereof, it is to be understood that allmatter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative and non-limiting.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cord lock, comprising: a housing having a first through-channel; a plunger having a second through-channel that is alignable with the first through-channel, wherein the housing and the plunger are movably coupled to each other and at least partially enclose an interior volume; a biasing element positioned in the interior volume, wherein the biasing element is positioned so that it biases the housing and the plunger away from each other to thereby de-align the first through-channel and the second through-channel; and a cord-retention cap having at least one through-channel positioned about an outer circumference of the cord-retention cap.
 2. The cord lock of claim 1, wherein the cord-retention cap is integrated with the plunger.
 3. The cord lock of claim 1, wherein the cord-retention cap is separate from the plunger and the housing.
 4. The cord lock of claim 1, further comprising: a first magnet coupled to the cord-retention cap; and a second magnet coupled to the plunger or to the housing, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are oriented to bias towards each other, thereby biasing the cord-retention cap towards the housing or towards the plunger where the second magnet is located.
 5. The cord lock of claim 1, wherein the at least one through-channel formed in the cord-retention cap comprises a pair of circular cord-retention channels.
 6. The cord lock of claim 1, wherein the cord lock is integrated with an article.
 7. The cord lock of claim 6, wherein the article comprises an article of apparel.
 8. The cord lock of claim 6, wherein the article comprises a bag.
 9. The cord lock of claim 6, wherein the article comprises outdoor gear.
 10. An article, comprising: a cord lock, comprising: a housing having a first through-channel, a plunger having a second through-channel that is alignable with the first through-channel, wherein the housing and the plunger are movably coupled to each other and at least partially enclose an interior volume, a biasing element positioned in the interior volume, wherein the biasing element is positioned so that it biases the housing and the plunger away from each other to thereby de-align the first through-channel and the second through-channel, and a cord-retention cap having at least one through-channel positioned about an outer circumference of the cord-retention cap; and an article layer, wherein the cord lock is integrated, at least partially, with the article layer.
 11. The article of claim 10, wherein the cord-retention cap is integrated with the plunger.
 12. The article of claim 10, wherein the cord-retention cap is separate from the plunger and the housing.
 13. The article of claim 10, further comprising: a first magnet coupled to the cord-retention cap; and a second magnet coupled to the plunger or to the housing, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are oriented to bias towards each other, thereby biasing the cord-retention cap towards the housing or towards the plunger where the second magnet is located.
 14. The article of claim 10, wherein the at least one through-channel formed in the cord-retention cap comprises a pair of circular cord-retention channels.
 15. The article of claim 10, wherein the article comprises an article of apparel.
 16. The article of claim 10, wherein the article comprises a bag.
 17. The article of claim 10, wherein the article comprises outdoor gear.
 18. A method of manufacturing an article having a cord lock, the method comprising: forming a cord lock, comprising: a housing having a first through-channel, a plunger having a second through-channel that is alignable with the first through-channel, wherein the housing and the plunger are movably coupled to each other and at least partially enclose an interior volume, a biasing element positioned in the interior volume, wherein the biasing element is positioned so that it biases the housing and the plunger away from each other to thereby de-align the first through-channel and the second through-channel, and a cord-retention cap having at least one through-channel positioned about an outer circumference of the cord-retention cap; and integrating the cord lock, at least partially, with an article layer.
 19. The method of manufacturing of claim 18, wherein the biasing element comprises a pair of magnets.
 20. The method of manufacturing of claim 18, wherein the article layer forms part of: an article of apparel; a bag; an outdoor gear; or an article of footwear. 